Classics Of Tomorrow

Hot rodding at its core is about building unique-looking cars that go fast. You can argue the details of that definition and go off in a thousand directions, but it comes down to looks and performance. Why do you lower a car? To make it look better and handle better. Larger wheels and tires? All the better to hook up and grip the road around corners. Do readers of this magazine leave their engine's stock? No way! In fact, most of you have shared with us a laundry list of things you've done underhood and another list of components or modifications that you are saving up for. But there is one more extremely important element in hot rodding: what car to start with.

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The generic response to that open-ended question is usually a first-generation Camaro, a '64-71 Mustang, or your favorite Chrysler B- or E-Body. That's fine if you've got a bankroll to buy a decent one or rebuild the body on a basket case. Nevertheless another basic element of hot rodding is looking for cars with potential-the inexpensive alternative. This is usually an overlooked model that has the right stuff. The true hot rodder has always looked at the affordable pool of used cars that lurks just outside of the realm of what average consumers desire. Sometimes it's a little too old or a little too rough to be considered much more than an eyesore by the Joneses, and that's when it becomes great fodder for us.

We've identified what may be the next era of hot rods: the top 10 classics of tomorrow. OK, so maybe they aren't all potential classics, but they are great foundations for building an affordable hot rod today. For this article, we're defining the right stuff as being rear-wheel drive, and available with a V-8. The reason for this is cost. In order for these orphan models to have hot rod potential, they must be affordable, and have an engine room big enough for real power.

Because of the era that these cars are coming from, they all have better brakes and better handling than the more favored muscle cars from the '60s. They are also more likely to have functioning creature comforts. How about an 11-second driver with factory air conditioning and power windows? You won't touch that in a classic car for less than $20,000, and you can pick up four of these future classics for less cash than that!

Of course, what most of these cars gain with luxury items and entry-level pricing, they lack in power. Most of the beauties we included here were lucky to have more than 200 horses underhood. Most of the cars you'll find in the local paper will probably have a couple-hundred thousand miles on the odometer and a pathetic original powerplant that will be wheezing like a two-pack-a-day smoker taking harmonica lessons. That's where you come in to give new life to some of Detroit's most overlooked models. We included V-8 vehicles to make it easier for you to swap in a good engine, not because the engine that came with the car was necessarily desirable.

While you could find basket cases without titles for hundreds of dollars, we give a price range for each model that would net you a driveable, registerable car-something that a reasonable hot rodder could buy, use as a driver, and build. Every car included here can be had for under $10,000, and most of them for far less than that.

These forgotten cars are finding favor with today's hot rodders because they're cheap, rear-wheel drive, and can house a V-8. Even with exhaustive research and much bench racing, we realize that we may have missed a few more potential classic cars from this era. If you have one that you think has the right stuff to become a future hot rod, drop Editor Hunkins a line at john.hunkins@sorc.com.

Fullsize Disco
1977-90 Chevy Caprice
The '77-90 Chevy Impala and Caprice cars are great examples of what this article is all about-forgotten pseudoluxury cars from an overlooked era. But these models retained a basic architecture that was decades old. As full-frame cars with a live rear axle, these cars used a multilink rear suspension that traces its design heritage back to the A-body of the '60s.

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Impalas were available in both two- and four-door versions. Some of the two-door cars even had an aero rear window that would be brought back in '86-88 on some Monte Carlos. In 1980, the body was slightly revised to be a bit more streamlined. In 1981, a police package was introduced that brought with it heavy-duty brakes, steering and suspension, plus some cool dog-dish wheels.

Earlier models came with a 350 V-8 that made an amazing 170 hp. In the '80-85 models, a 305 is much more common. The engine specs don't matter that much. All those V-8s underhood mean it already has the motor mounts and accessory drive that you'll need when you drop your fresh small-block in place. (Beware, some wagons had the 307 Olds underhood, so some cajoling may be in order.)

This era of Caprices and Impalas were built on the B-body platform, and there were also Buick, Oldsmobile, and Pontiac versions available. By this time, GM had nearly perfected badge engineering and the only real exterior differences between the brands were the grilles and trim. They retained engines from the brand lineage.

BY THE NUMBERS

Model years:

'77-90

Most desirable:

'77-79 two-door coupe

Engine you want:

305 or 350 Chevy V-8

Why you want it:

Haul the gang to the dragstrip and then lay down some

11-second quarters for cheap

Price range:

$2,500-$4,000

Rich Corinthian Leather
1980-83 Chrysler J-Body
A subset of the M-platform-fullsize rear-wheel-drive cars that Chrysler and Dodge built for 12 years-the J-platform cars were the two-door versions, and marketed as personal luxury cars. This segment was actually pretty crowded in the early '80s with Thunderbird, Cougar, and a host of two-door coupes from GM.

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The J-body included the '80-83 Chrysler Cordoba, Dodge Mirada, and Chrysler Imperial. Ironically, the Cordoba has a crosshair grille that would be applied to the Dodge brand 20 years later. The Mirada tried to garner some racing heritage. Richard Petty and Junior Johnson built test cars, but they were supposedly so far off the mark on the Daytona track that both teams jumped to other brands. Some lesser known teams did campaign the Mirada and Imperial without much success.

The J-platform cars sit on a leaf-spring rear suspension and had a torsion bar front suspension. These were available with a 318 V-8 and an A904 automatic. For '80, special Mirada and Cordoba models were available with a 360 V-8, the last year the engine would be offered in Chrysler cars. It was rated at 185 hp and combined with a 727 TorqueFlite.

BY THE NUMBERS

Model years:

'80-83 Chrysler J-platform cars

Most desirable:

'83 with the 360 and 727 TorqueFlite

Engine you want:

318 or 360 V-8

Why you want it:

Dirt-cheap, and your 450hp LA engine will bolt right in!

Price range:

$1,500-$4,000

Dale Earnhardt Lives!
1978-87 Chevy Monte Carlo
Except for the ponycars that we'll get to later, the '78-87 Chevy Monte Carlo is the only model in this article that was actually popular with hot rodders when it was new. It fell out of favor as the new car smell was replaced with the aroma of outgassing vinyl and dry-rotting velour, but they are making a comeback as a one of the coolest-looking midsize cars from this era.

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Technically, Monte Carlos were produced from '70 to '07, but we generally dismiss the W-platform cars (including the Lumina) built after '87. The fourth-generation cars are the best looking; these were built from '81 to '88 ('88s were actually built in '87), they are still plentiful, and were available with 305 and 350 V-8s. There were also a lot of them built with V-6 engines and even a 350 diesel V-8, so shop carefully. Much like the Impala and Caprice cars, the gasoline V-8 isn't anything to brag about, but it makes swapping in a good small-block that much easier.

These cars look good both as drag race cars and as Pro Tourers. The SS model was available in '84-88 and included a dechromed look and a rear spoiler. From '86 to '88, an Aerocoupe model was available. These were built with a unique rear window, shorter trunk lid, and a very flat rear spoiler. These are rare (only 200 sold each year to meet NASCAR homologation rules) and are generally avoided by hot rodders for aesthetic and cost reasons.

If you like the size and basic look but want to be different, there were also Buick Regals, Oldsmobile Cutlasses, and Pontiac Grand Prixes.

BY THE NUMBERS

Model years:

'81-88 Monte Carlo

Most desirable:

'84-87 Monte Carlo SS

Engine you want:

305 or 350 V-8

Why you want it:

One of the few cool non-ponycars from the era

Price range:

$4,000-$6,000

Heavy Metal
1973-77 GM A-Body
Heavy metal music was just gaining ground as the portly third generation of Chevelles and related A-bodies debuted. The poor timing of bigger-is-better thinking coinciding with an oil embargo and smog regulations forced Detroit into a lot of not-ready-for-prime-time technology. As a result, they were some of the least performance-oriented cars of their day. Fear not though-we are up for the challenge now, and these '73-77 A-bodies can be made into killer street machines.

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Now that these cars are old enough-in fact, they are the oldest cars in this article-we've now forgiven GM for Elvis-like bulging and underwhelming engines, and we see the cars for what they do offer, and that is a great chassis, a few years of big-block production, and cars with just enough style to be considered classic. They are also the first in the Chevelle lineage that could actually turn corners pretty well.

The Buick, Olds, and Pontiac brands were chock full of their versions of this A-body, often sporting interesting design cues. Just as Chevy stuffed a few of its A-bodies with a 454 as a last hoorah, some of the BOP versions received 455s to match their brands.

This era of A-body has been embraced by the aftermarket (as well as our own Johnny Hunkins), and you can now build one of these cars in just about any style you want, and with the performance that they deserved when they debuted 30 years ago.

The Laguna was the high-performance model in the Chevy lineup. It was used by Bobby Allison, Neil Bonnett, Cale Yarborough, and other teams in NASCAR racing, inspiring our own '75 Chevy Laguna project car. Because they are older, finding a decent one means that someone has done some work on it or taken really good care of it.

BY THE NUMBERS

Model years:

'73-77 GM A-bodies

Most desirable:

'73-75 big-block cars

Engine you want:

any V-8

Why you want it:

Living large with big performance and handling capability

Price range:

$3,000-$7,000

The Luxury Ponycar
1983-97 Thunderbird
If you ever wished your Fox-body Mustang had more legroom, plush leather, and dare we say, better handling, you might want an '83-97 Ford Thunderbird or Mercury Cougar. We've broadened this category to include the Fox-platform '83-88 cars, which are more affordable and offer an 8.8-inch solid-axle rear due to the fact that they shared platform architecture with the Fox-body Mustang. These early models are perfect for anyone who is a bit bored with Mustangs, but wants to apply nearly all of the parts that were developed for the Mustang. Lowering the car and applying a Turbo Coupe nose can create a car that looks hungry to eat up miles of road, while traditional 5.0L tricks can create a respectable performer.

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The more adventurous will go for the later models, which had IRS ('89-97, MN12 chassis). The Super Coupe variant even included an intercooled, supercharged 3.8L V-6. This supercharged engine is old technology compared to Ford's EcoBoost engine, but it can easily propel a Super Coupe into the 12s and deliver very livable fuel economy. Most hot rodders will opt for the '91-93 models when the 5.0-liter was once again available, or the '94-98 versions with the two-valve 4.6L mod motor. Either can be built into a serious performance motors for a reasonable amount of money.

The real advantage of the 10th-generation Thunderbird is the chassis. With the IRS, a performance handling car is relatively easy to build. Also, unlike the Mustang of the same era, you can fit decent-sized tires under the 'Bird.

BY THE NUMBERS

Model years:

'83-97 Ford Thunderbird or Mercury Cougar

Most desirable:

'94-96 with 5.0L V-8

Engine you want:

either the 5.0L or 4.6L V-8

Why you want it:

All the good things about a Mustang

but with more room and luxury

Price range:

$4,000-$6,000

Rockin' The Mullet
1978-83 Chevy Malibu
For some reason, the image of a half-dozen mullets stumbling out of an '81 Malibu wagon is conjured up each time we talk about this version of the downsized A-body (by that point in time, called the G-body). Quite a few drag racers are working to replace that image with cars rockin' down the quarter-mile in astonishingly short times. We all know that the combo of a relatively small car, V-8 power, and rear-wheel drive makes for a dandy drag car. It was also eligible for NASCAR racing, but only one driver (Dave Marcis) ever gave it a serious go in that arena.

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The Malibu was available as a coupe, sedan, station wagon, and El Camino. The wagons feature operational wing windows on the back doors. The sedans look like mini Caprices, while the coupe has the right proportions to be desirable for decades to come. At a passing glance, the coupe form has almost the same square proportions of the vaunted '66-67 SportsRoof Nova.

The engine to get is the 305 V-8, but again, only as a placeholder, and to provide the brackets and accessories you'll need to bolt onto a better small-block.

There were multiple BOP variants of the Malibu, and even a GMC version of the El Camino (the Caballero), so you can pick the grille and taillight design of your liking.

One of the things we like best about the Malibu is that it can be built in just about any style and look good. Throw some Torq-Thrusts on it and it's a cruiser. Slam it and put on 18s, and it can look as modern as any car. Put a big-horsepower motor in it and 26x9.5 slicks and you have a drag car. You could even pull off a NASCAR look and have a mini PHR Laguna!

BY THE NUMBERS

Model years:

'78-83 GM A-/G-body

Most desirable:

any coupe model

Engine you want:

305 V-8

Why you want it:

A very affordable, lightweight midsized car that can be

built any way you like

Price range:

$2,000-$7,000

The Mustang Years
1994-'04 Ford Mustang
While the Mustang has the honor of being both the first ponycar, as well as the longest continuously produced ponycar, few would argue that the car lost its way along the performance path from '73 to '79. The introduction of the Fox-bodied cars and the ease of modifying the 5.0-liter earned back the car's muscle car pedigree in the '80s and '90s. But the Fox platform evolved over time and produced the '94-04 version, dubbed the SN-95.

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If not for continuing with the 302 V-8, the car might have fallen completely off the hot rod bandwagon. After '95, the pushrod motor was discontinued, and a 4.6L overhead cam engine was introduced. At first, this engine was not embraced by the performance community, but it has since become popular as an affordable V-8 to make really good power.

This is the model that we are selecting as a future classic, partially because the Fox-bodied cars before it and the fifth-generation Mustangs that came after it have already secured their places as classics. Because the SN-95 was shunned in its day for both design cues and an overhead cam motor, many haven't been back to revisit the car.

By the Numbers

Model years:

'94-04 Ford Mustang

Most desirable:

'94-95 with 5.0L V-8

Engine you want:

any V-8

Why you want it:

Inexpensive and easy to build, lots of parts available

Price range:

$2,000-$8,000

Keep On Truckin'
Domestic Light Truck
We did much teeth gnashing on whether to include trucks in this list or not, but when you're talking about inexpensive hot rod material, the small trucks produced by Ford, Dodge, and GM are hard to ignore. Of these, the Dodge Dakota is the only one that was available with a V-8, but doing a V-8 swap in both the Ford Ranger and Chevy S-10 is easy.

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The S-trucks were built from '82 through '04. During that time, there was a major redesign for '04, which created a much sleeker-looking mini-truck. While Chevy and GMC were the only brands on the truck, the Oldsmobile Bravada (S-based SUV) front end bolts on. One of the most respected models from this run was the '91 GMC Syclone. The 4.3L turbocharged V-6 made 280 hp and the all-wheel-drive system could put it to the ground, scaring Camaros and Mustangs of the same era.

The Ford Ranger has had the longest run of the bunch, being produced from '83 through today. The '83-92 models are pretty homely looking, but the '93-to-current trucks can be built to look pretty cool. And there are kits available to swap a V-8 into any of them. If that's your ultimate goal, do some research before you buy a truck, as you can often retain the original transmission.

The Dodge Dakota was always the oddball in this group of mini-trucks by design. Dodge wanted to be in the middle, between a small truck, and the fullsize pickups in size and capability. Hence, the Dakotas are a bit a bigger and were available with a V-8 from '91 on. They also had some of the oddest special editions. Remember the '89-91 convertible Dakota? Or the '89 Shelby edition, which was Shelby's first rear-wheel-drive vehicle in roughly 20 years? The span from '91 to current actually covers three generations of the truck.

BY THE NUMBERS

Model years:

'82-04 GM S-10, S-15, Sonoma, Blazer, Jimmy and Bravada;

'83-present Ford Ranger; '91-present Dodge Dakota

Most desirable:

'02-04 Dakota Quad Cab with the 4.7L V-8 is a turnkey hot

rod with four doors

Engine you want:

It only matters on the Dodge, where you want the V-8

Why you want it:

Style and performance with the ability to carry its new

engine home in the back

Price range:

$1,000-$6,000

Cop Motor, Cop Shocks, Cop Tires ...
1992-Present Ford Panther Platform
The Ford Crown Vic is the best-loved police and taxi car of all time. Want to know why? Cost and performance. Seemingly unchanged from '92-10, the aero-nosed Crown Vic and its Mercury Grand Marquis sister model were seen as too large and grandma-like to be considered hot rod fodder. But a few people are seeing the inexpensive, V-8-powered four-doors for the performance potential they possess.

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Most people wouldn't notice, but the '98 model saw a revised four-link rear suspension with a Watt's link. The exterior was redesigned, with a taller grille and rear deck ledge, giving the car better proportions. Engines have included the venerable Windsor V-8, and the current 4.6L mod motor.

The Mercury Marauder was Ford's attempt for '03 and '04 to show how cool the car could be. With a blacked-out appearance and a few performance mods (including the four-valve 300hp Mod motor from the Cobra Mustang), the car had the right mechanical stuff, but couldn't shake the blue-haired stigma.

We think that people building a Crown Vic or Grand Marquis into a hot rod will ignore the appearance of the car and focus on the performance bits that earn the car a place on this top 10 list.

BY THE NUMBERS

Model years:

'92-10 Crown Vic and Mercury Grand Marquis

Most desirable:

any

Engine you want:

V-8 Windsor or Mod motor

Why you want it:

With the right paint scheme, people will move out of

your way on the highway. Also one of the least expensive, newest

V-8 rear-wheel-drive cars you purchase

Price range:

$2,000-$7,000

The Last F-Body
1993-'02 Chevy Camaro
Even though the all-around performance of the fourth-generation Camaro was the best of any ever produced, the styling and the decline in the two-door sport coupe market sealed the fate for the F-body's future, at least as far as anyone could see at the time. (Note: Technically, the current Camaro is not an F-body, so the 2002 was the last of the F-body breed.)

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The awesome handling, braking, and acceleration of '93-02 Camaros and Firebirds combined with the underwhelming demand for the styling make them an affordable option for someone looking for a car of this caliber. One key factor in the bonus equation is the six-speed manual trans, which was cribbed from the Viper. This box was nearly indestructible, and is still considered the transmission to have-even in new cars today.

The LT1 5.7-liter was the engine to have through '97, after which the all-aluminum LS1 was introduced, raising the bar again for performance. Either the LT1 or LS1 can be built to produce extremely high power, with the LT1 cars being the budget-oriented targets when you're shopping. (A friend of ours recently bought a loaded '96 Ram Air Trans Am for $2,000.) The '98 models received the breakthrough LS1 from the Corvette and a mild exterior redesign. This model is considered better looking than the previous, and also demands a little more money when shopping.

Through '99, an RPO 1LE package was offered that included double-adjustable Koni shocks, performance coil springs, baffled fuel tank, and larger sway bars. If you can find one of these with the LS1 engine, you'd have quite a car that's perfect for a nice turbo.

BY THE NUMBERS

Model years:

'93-02 Chevy Camaro and Pontiac Firebird

Most desirable:

Any V-8 with a six-speed manual trans

Engine you want:

LS1 V-8

Why you want it:

"World class" is overused, but you can build a world-

class performance car for under $10,000, including the price of the car.